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Activation of Pyroptosis by Membrane‐Anchoring AIE Photosensitizer Design: New Prospect for Photodynamic Cancer Cell Ablation
Author(s) -
Wu Min,
Liu Xingang,
Chen Huan,
Duan Yukun,
Liu Jingjing,
Pan Yutong,
Liu Bin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.202016399
Subject(s) - pyroptosis , photosensitizer , cancer cell , photodynamic therapy , chemistry , programmed cell death , cell , cell membrane , apoptosis , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer research , biophysics , cancer , biochemistry , medicine , biology , photochemistry , organic chemistry
Pyroptosis as a lytic and inflammatory form of cell death is a powerful tool to fight against cancer. However, pyroptosis is usually activated by chemotherapeutic drugs, which limits its anti‐tumor applications due to drug resistance and severe side effects. Herein, we demonstrate that membrane targeting photosensitizers can induce pyroptosis for cancer cell ablation with noninvasiveness and low side effects. A series of membrane anchoring photosensitizers (TBD‐R PSs) with aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) characteristics were prepared through conjugation of TBD and phenyl ring with cationic chains. Upon light irradiation, cytotoxic ROS were produced in situ, resulting in direct membrane damage and superior cancer cell ablation. Detailed study revealed that pyroptosis gradually became the dominant cell death pathway along with the increase of TBD‐R PSs membrane anchoring capability. This study offers a photo‐activated pyroptosis‐based intervention strategy for cancer cell ablation.